


Unseen Possibilities

by SAU



Category: Bleach
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Child Soldiers, Depression, Eventual Fluff, Gen, Good Aizen Sousuke, I'm not sorry, Kurosaki Ichigo Needs a Hug, Mental Health Issues, Past Child Abuse, Past Relationship(s), Pre-Turn Back the Pendulum Arc, Self-Harm, Sleep Deprivation, Suicidal Thoughts, Temporary Amnesia, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:42:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27789925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SAU/pseuds/SAU
Summary: There was no way to get out. He was trapped, destined, fated, to burn away to nothingness. Not a single thing was left for him and he had come to accept it, letting himself fall into oblivion more and more. Yet, for all he had given up, when a pull—of hope, of change, of something NEW—appeared, he didn't even hesitate a second as he reached out. Reached out to a new fate. Of thousands of possibilities.
Relationships: Aizen Sousuke & Kurosaki Ichigo, Hirako Shinji & Kurosaki Ichigo, Kurosaki Ichigo & Kyouraku Shunsui, Kyouraku Shunsui & Ukitake Juushirou, Shihouin Yoruichi & Tsukabishi Tessai & Urahara Kisuke, Urahara Kisuke & Aizen Sousuke
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	Unseen Possibilities

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly don't know where this came from....But I liked it!  
> So here it is! Not really looking like anything yet but I've got plenty of weird stuff I need to write before forgetting them.
> 
> I'll try to finish this.  
> Looks promising!

“Kyouraku-san”

He twitched slightly in surprise, did someone just say his name? Nah, must be his imagination.

“Kyouraku”

It was louder this time, but still sounded like a voice at the end of a tunnel. Shunsui didn’t care either way, he was having a great dream. He shifted from his spot on the grass to get more comfortable, inhaling the fresh scent of nature. 

“Kyouraku Shunsui! Wake up this instant!”

His head snapped up, taking in the face of his angry teacher and the students trying to control their laughter. He was assaulted by the sight of the wooden desks and boards, so different from the refreshing place he was just mere seconds ago.

“If those lessons are so uninteresting, you are welcome to leave!”

Ah, right. He was in class.

“Sorry teach. Won't happen again” he drawled lazily, making Norane-sensei’s face go red, an angry tick appearing on her forehead. She seriously needed to relax, jeez.

“I hope not, indeed!”

The class restarted after that, yet he couldn’t focus at all. His eyes stung, making black spots appear in his vision and he had to stop the urge to shiver several times. He placed a hand on his head. A migraine maybe? He did fall asleep in class. Something that, even with all his laziness, almost never happened. In fact, was he that tired?

Why the hell had he fallen asleep again?

He couldn’t remember.

He had made a pleasant dream too, right? There was a big forest and he was in a clearing with a single tree at the center. He was laying on his back watching a butterfly. There was someone with him too. They had long hair and...

And what?

He closed his eyes tightly, pressing his hand harder on his head. Why couldn’t he remember? The memory was just there! He _just_ woke up! And he was pretty sure the person with him was saying something to him.

Adrenaline flowed in his veins, why was he even asleep in the first place?!

Pain flared from his left arm and he opened his eyes, turning sharply to his side. There were two fingers pinching his skin through his white shihakusho’s sleeve. He followed the arm attached to them only to end up face to face with his white haired best friend.

“Ju-chan?” He said slowly, taking in the worried expression his friend was wearing. He didn’t like that. Jushiro wasn’t someone you wanted to see frown, it didn’t fit him at all.

“Shunsui”, he started hesitantly, whispering so Norane-sensei wouldn’t hear him, “Are you alright? You scared me there, falling asleep right off the bat. I thought you had some sort of concussion and fainted for a second.”

He thought what?

“ _You thought what?”_

Now, Shunsui had all the right to feel panicked. It wasn’t all days you were basically told you had fainted in the middle of a class about Seireitei’s history and couldn’t remember how it happened at all.

‘Don’t tell me now I’m a goddamn amnesiac.’ 

That would suck.

He focused back on Jushiro the best he could when he saw the man open his mouth to answer his freaked out question. 

“Well, I guess you just head butted your desk? I mean, you were acting like normal and then you just fainted? Does that make sense?”

No, it very much didn’t.

“I guess it does! Sorry for worrying you Ju-chan, I was just a little sleepy, that’s all. Won’t happen again.” He told his friend with a serious tone for once. No need to worry him even more than he had for some dream he doesn't remember.

The white haired academy student made a small smile, seemingly reassured with his word and nodded to him. “ Alright. But make sure to tell me if something is wrong, Shunsui.”

Bless Ju-chan and his big heart

“Of course!” He grinned, wide and happy

“Ukitake-san, Kyouraku-san, for the I-don’t-even-know-how-many-time, shut up” They jumped at their sensei’s tired voice.

Welp, look like Norane-sensei had enough of us today. It was always fun to hear her talk so informally. Make her sounds funny. 

“We apologize, Sensei!” Ju-chan said next to him, bowing his head, trying and miraculously failing to calm her down. He should know by then that calming her is not a task mere students like us can accomplish. 

“One more word out of your mouths that isn’t used for answering questions and you are getting detention for the rest of the week.”

Let it be said that Norane-sensei was scarier when she was _not_ screaming at you.

“Yes sensei” They both said.

“And shall I also add that this warning is for everyone?”

If there was any snickering idiot mocking us at the beginning, there surely wasn’t anyone making a noise now.

* * *

Shunsui sighed as he ate his apple, willing the day to end so he could throw his head in his pillow and forget that this annoying period of his life ever happened. He brushed his fingers on the hilt of his zanpakuto, silently longing for the day he could get out of the academy to come faster. He was still in his fifth year, meaning he had to go through his sixth year before finally getting out of this boring place.

Something hit his right cheek before falling on the ground and he blinked at his friend in curiosity. Jushiro had been oddly silent today. Shunsui knew he was normally the one doing almost all the talk and his friend would often whack him on the head when he spoke too much or annoyed someone, but not today it seemed. 

Jushiro was side eyeing him from where he was seated on the grass, leaning against a tree.

“Are you sure you’re alright, Shunsui? You haven’t talked much since the history class... and now you look like you want to drown someone.” His friend said in a perfectly serious and worried voice, like he didn’t fully understand what came out of his mouth.

He choked on nothing, torn between laughing and getting offended. Was his face really that scary?

He quickly assured Ju-chan that _no,_ he wasn’t dying and that _yes,_ his breathing path was perfectly okay. He could understand why he would have a serious face, but looking like he wanted to _drown someone_? That was a first. Yes, Shunsui could admit he was still troubled by the event of earlier today, but who wouldn’t?

Well, he was overreacting a little, too.

“Sorry, Ju-chan. I was still a bit out of it. I guess I’ll need to sleep more for the next day, right?” He put a hand behind his head in a sheepish action, completely forgetting about the apple he was eating before. Not that he was hungry anymore, this conversation had cut any want to put something in his stomach.

“I will make sure you do. You are aware that this means no sneaking out of the academy grounds to go drinking, don’t you?”

He kind of didn’t think that far when he said it

‘Damn, I’m such an idiot! Now I’ve given Ju-chan a reason to keep me from escaping this hell hole!’ He thought frantically, mentally hitting himself a couple of times.

_And all because he didn’t want to worry him_

‘Screw you and your annoying, big, soft heart!’

“Shunsui, calm down. I can hear you regretting several of your life choices from here.”Jushiro deadpanned 

“Aw, _shut up,_ Ju-chan”

His friend laughed, seemingly happy with how things came back to normal between them. He admitted that ignoring his white haired roommate wasn’t the best idea he ever had to make sure he wouldn’t worry him. In fact, said like that it sounded even more stupid than before.

They saw the people nearby heading toward the main building, signaling the end of the break. At least they had Zanjutsu class for the last period. It wouldn’t be as boring as Kido.

Kido in the last period was definitely Shunsui’s sworn enemy.

“Let’s go Shunsui! Stop staring at nothing like an idiot! We are going to be late if you keep this up!” Yelled his partner in crime while using shunpo to go faster.

“You’re so mean to me, Ju-chan! I wasn’t staring at nothing.”

He clearly wasn’t heard at all. Jushiro was not even in his range of sight anymore. He shunpoed after him as fast as he could, entering the building.

“Wait up, Ju-chan! You can’t just run away like that!” He yelled in the hallway, startling the few students who weren’t in their class yet. He stopped in front of the Zanjutsu class and opened the door, stepping inside the room with a sigh of relief. He wasn’t late.

He glared weakly at Jushiro from his place, getting a smug face from the other.

‘Oh Ju-chan, sometime I forget how you can be a _goddamn_ _bastard._ ’

“Kyouraku-san, you are in time. How fascinating, I never thought I would live to see this day.” Norane-sensei said, looking for all the world like she wanted to be anywhere _but_ here.

“Maybe you should have more faith in me sensei, it definitely would soften that horrible frown you keep having when thinking about beautiful me!” The jovial tone he used made half of class put a hand in front of their mouth to stop laughter from spilling out and the other half stop their breathing and enter a flight or fight mode.

He vaguely heard the sound of Jushiro’s head hitting his palm in exasperation.

‘Well’ He thought, ‘I guess I _could_ have handled the situation better’

Norane-sensei looked at two inch from committing cold-blooded murder. Not that he could blame her, he was aware of how annoying he could get when he tried. He still held close to his heart this day in third year when he pushed that teacher (whom he couldn’t even remember the name) to retirement with only four month of effort. The teacher was the most idiotic one he ever had, so he made it his mission to annoy the guy to death.

_Literally_

“How about you come here and let me use you as an example for the rest of the class? Since you seem to be in a particularly daring mood this afternoon, Kyouraku-san?” Norane-sensei said between gritted teeth. 

He had dug his own grave without even doing his will first.

He walked to the front of the class with all the dignity he could muster, pointedly ignoring the stare of pity he was receiving. Norane-sensei was known to be one of the teachers with the most aggressive and creative fighting style, even worse when you gave her a sword. Nobody, including her fellow colleague, wanted to spar with her for a reason.

She was the scariest woman he had ever met. 

“Take your stance, Kyouraku!” She barked loudly, already slicing him into pieces in her mind, he betted. 

“Yes Ma'am” He unsheathed his zanpakuto. So they were going at it with real swords? How bothersome, he should really learn to shut his trap, it always ended up being more effort than it was worth.

He placed his sword in a straight line pointing toward Norane-sensei, putting his left feet slightly behind him.

He glanced at his teacher, she hadn’t even taken a stance!

“Start”, was the only thing she said before charging him.

He barely had any time to put his sword in front of him to parry the attack. He took a step back, not expecting so much strength from his teacher.

_Give me a warning next time, you_ _insane woman!_

He jumped away from her before charging back at her with a quick series of shunpos to throw her off. He appeared just behind her, swinging at her neck. Not that he would kill her, of course, but got blocked as she put an arm behind her, blocking his zanpakuto, not looking surprised at all.

Did she have eyes behind her head?

“How predictable. Are you even trying, brat?” She turned her head at him and grinned widely, making students in the crowd whimper in fear.

‘Try being at the end of her fury if seeing her grinning does that to you.’ What a bunch of scared ass! Try sparring against her, you coward! 

Shunsui grinned right back in a useless attempt to hide all his inner panic toward his current situation. For all the big talk he could do, he wasn’t fairing better.

They parted, before charging each other with full force. The sound of their sword clashing several times making some students take a step back. Norane-sensei was strong for someone who didn’t seem to have that much muscle. Her hits were strong and focused, made to break through his guard.

Now, it would have worked if Shunsui wasn’t...Well... _Him._

He angled his sword so he could change the direction of her hits, taking those chances to make a few slash at her. By changing the direction of her sword, he could win a few seconds where striking back became possible. Not that his demon of a teacher let herself get hit.

He moved to the left and attacked to the right, hoping to distract her enough with his misdirection so he could end this nightmare.

He promptly froze when he felt a hot liquid rolling on his right cheek. Shunsui’s hand went to wipe it, wincing at the feeling of the deep cut he didn’t even feel before. He turned toward his red haired sensei with wide eyes. When had she made it?

“Don’t you dare think for a second that your petty misleading tricks will work on me.” She was wiping the blood of her sword, looking at him like he was some kind of disappointment. “You’re slow, Kyouraku”

He was one of the best in the class at Zanjutsu!

“I think that you’re just too fast, sensei.” He needed to end this quickly, Norane-sensei would not play for long.

And he was starting to feel faint from blocking her monstrous hits.

“Perhaps.” 

She took lazy side steps and went at it again, making Shunsui twist his way out of her attacks. He had difficulty understanding how she could swing her sword to the right and then hit him on the left.

‘She’s like a fish in water!’ He thought angrily as he failed for the hundredth time to even graze her. Norane-sensei wouldn’t stop dodging with wide, acrobatic moves that made his head spin. She was always moving everywhere, cutting his skin with precise attacks.

It was like a punishment for making her mad.

He spun his sword at her when she finally stopped jumping from side to side.

‘Come on! Hit her damn it!’ 

As his sword came close to her face, she fell backward, using her hand to stabilize herself and letting her sword fall on the ground with a loud clang.

He could only watch with wide eyes as her leg came in his vision and connected with the left side of his head.

He fell to the ground, groaning at the pain his head emitted. Norane-sensei was looking at him through her long bangs, scrutinizing his every movement.

When she finally turned toward the rest of the class, Shunsui felt like he could breathe normally again.

“I hope you all learned something from this fight. If you can find a way to destroy your opponent's defense, you will be able to do anything, no matter how good the person you fight is. Class dismissed.” She wasn’t breaking a sweat, standing proudly before his crumpled form.

When the class was empty, she turned back to him and cracked a smile.

_A smile!_

“For someone who was distracted all day, you surely fought well. Don’t make that face, it was pretty obvious you were out of it. Just don’t let it get to you. The more distracted you are the more annoying you get. I just want to save this class from your idiocy.” She didn’t let him the time to respond before slamming the door of the class, leaving him alone.

Did she just confess caring for his health!?

Norane-sensei, the scary teacher of the first class of the fifth year, said to be lacking a heart, just admitted she didn’t hate him!

“Maybe she simply got me too hard on the head? It would definitely be more realistic than this.”

He got up slowly, taking his zanpakuto and limping out of the class.

“I _told_ you to stop antagonizing the teacher! Honestly Shunsui, now you’re all scratched up!” Jushiro was waiting for him outside the room. His friend took his arm and dragged him to their shared room in the dorms.

He sat Shunsui on his bed and went to get the medical kit in the bathroom.

“Now you will stay on your bed and let me patch up your wounds” The authority in Ju-chan’s tone didn’t really let him any choices.

“Yes, yes” he said as he tugged his shihakusho down. “It’s not like I’m mortally wounded or anything, Ju-chan”

“No, but you still went against Norane-sensei. You should be happy to be able to walk.”

“Ey! It’s not that bad! I’m pretty sure she would never mortally wound me.”

“Mind enlightening me where this weird confidence comes from? Not even a day ago you were complaining about her being a demon in human form.”

“I changed my mind.”

“You never change your mind.”

“Now that’s completely fals—Ow!”

He hissed as Ju-chan tied the bandages together, pulling at the wounds.

“There! All done!” 

Shunsui looked at his now bandaged torso and touched his cheek, noticing something covering the cut. He hadn’t noticed Ju-chan putting something on it.

“That was fast.” He commented

“Well, you’re just slow.” Jushiro said, mimicking Norane-sensei earlier today.

“Stop making fun of me, Ju-chan! What did I ever do to you!” He complained loudly, making his roommate laugh at him before a cough tore its way out of his mouth.

“You alright Ju-chan?” He asked the other who was still coughing behind his hand.

“Yes, I’m sorry. I think it would be better for me if I went to sleep early with you.” Ju-chan smiled at him. “Beside, you took a good hit on the side of your head.”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t put the blame on my poor head! Go to sleep and get better you idiot.” He said the last part softly, making sure Ju-chan understood he cared.

_You never know, alright!_

“I could say the same to you.” Answered Ju-chan, a joyful glint shining in his eyes.

_Damn it, that look should be illegal._

He rested his head on his pillow, closing his eyes in the dark as Ju-chan closed the curtain.

“Good night, Shunsui” He heard before drifting away.

* * *

_Shunsui sighed softly, letting the chant of the birds relax him, his tense body slouching in the grass. The wind blew around him in the clearing as a purple butterfly flew above him._

_He extended his arm toward the butterfly and smiled when it stopped on his hand._

_“What’s a cute little butterfly like you doing here all alone? Do you live nearby?” He asked lazily._

_The butterfly shook its wings before taking the air again, making its way to the giant tree in the middle of the field._

_Shunsui rolled on his side and sat up, his eyes following the weird animal. It looked intelligent, how special._

_Or maybe he was losing his mind._

_Movement coming from the tree caught his attention. He searched carefully the origin of the noise, his mind going blank when he saw the figure resting against the tree on a lower branch._

_They had long orange hair reflecting with the sun, dressed all in black, making his hair stand out even more. It was a man, he concluded after another inspection. He wasn’t moving, just sitting and looking away in the distance in a way that oddly fitted him._

_“Who are you?” He asked when he finally gained back control over his throat. His voice still shook, unable to adapt to the sight of this man._

_The stranger turned his head in his direction, the wind tugging at the bangs hiding the upper part of his face, making his eyes visible._

_And Shunsui stopped breathing at the beautifully tragic sight._

_This man was stunning, his face looked like it was made of porcelain, with all the perfect curves to make him pretty in a way a woman never could. Yet the eyes of the stranger made a part of him he wasn’t aware he had clench (In sorrow, in pain, in guilt, in horror, horror, HORROR) over itself._

_His eyes were white. A pure bluish white with flecks of faded gold in them. They looked like they could swallow the whole world and then more. Knowledge was burning inside them in a way even a sage could never accomplish. But those eyes...They didn’t see._

_They were blind._

_“Who_ are _you?” He asked again and now there was no mistaking in his shaking voice._

_The mysterious man smiled, perfect white teeth with slightly longer canines becoming visible. There was an air of tragedy around him that was almost palpable as he answered._

_“That I cannot give you an answer, Kyouraku Shunsui.”_

_His voice travelled across the clearing like a melody and Shunsui unintentionally took comfort in the sound, not even bothering asking why the man knew his name._

_“You have to remember first.”_

_Shunsui slipped out of his daze and looked at the man’s now serious face._

_“Remember what?” Did he forget something that could clue him on who this man was?_

_“You have to remember,” he said yet again._

_“I don’t understand.” What did he miss? Who was this man?_

_If only Ju-chan was there. He would certainly have an explanation._

_The man looked at him pleadingly, making a move to leave the tree before advising against it._

_“Don’t forget”_

_Shunsui could only look at him as he felt himself slip away from this reality._

_“Please” The man begged._

_And he could only watch as everything disappeared around him, the stranger included._

* * *

He woke up with a gasp, his hand going to his head when it flared in pain.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, turning his head to a still sleeping Jushiro. The sunlight coming from the window informing him it was already time to wake up.

He really slept like the dead, maybe Ju-chan was right. He just needed a good night of sleep.

He had made a dream, too. And it woke him up pretty shaken.

Hm.

What was the dream about again?

He couldn’t remember.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm tired.  
> There may be some mistakes. Sorry in advance


End file.
